Drie figuren uit Azcoitia in Baskisch kostuum 1849

This print, "Three Figures from Azcoitia in Basque Costume," was made by Blanche Hennebutte-Feillet using lithography, a fascinating process where an image is drawn on a stone or metal plate with a greasy substance, then printed. What's interesting here is how this industrial technique is used to depict traditional clothing. The figures are carefully rendered, their garments detailed with subtle gradations of color, possible only through lithography. The print shows a clear interest in ethnography, recording the costumes of a specific place and time. However, the very act of capturing these costumes through a mechanical process also transforms them. It turns regional identity into a commodity, a visual souvenir for consumption. Look at how the print carefully emphasizes the textures and patterns of the garments, almost like a catalog entry. In this way, the print becomes a reflection of emerging consumer culture, where even tradition can be packaged and sold. This challenges the divide between 'high art' and commercial image-making.